The next morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
After a night of rest and cultivation in his room at the inn, Lu Li slowly concluded his routine of spiritual thought and breath regulation.
As soon as he opened his eyes, his nose involuntarily twitched slightly.
An exceptionally alluring, richly layered aroma of food was seeping in through the cracks in the door and window, winding its way through the room.
This smell… was definitely not the monotonous spirit grain porridge and light side dishes provided by the inn.
There was the mellow, savory fragrance of a rich spirit broth, the crisp, tender scent of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and even the sweet, warm aroma of a specific dessert he was quite fond of—made from a certain spirit fruit and baked to have a caramelized, fruity scent.
A trace of surprise flickered in Lu Li’s eyes. He got up, straightened his robes, and with some curiosity, slowly pushed open the door.
The scene outside made him pause.
In the small side room, the originally modest square table was now filled to the brim with a dazzling array of breakfast dishes.
Crystal-clear shrimp dumplings, scrambled spirit eggs dotted with vibrant green spirit vegetables, a milky-white fish soup, several plates of refreshing cold side dishes, and even a freshly baked spirit fruit pie, still steaming and emitting an enticing sweet fragrance…
In total, there were seven or eight different items, covering the table in a lavish spread.
His two disciples were standing beside the table.
His big disciple, Gu Qingkong, was wearing a slightly oversized coarse cloth apron, holding a plate of freshly sliced spirit fruit.
Her face bore faint traces of smoke from the kitchen fire, but her eyes were bright and sparkling, looking at him with anticipation.
His second disciple, Shang Baiyu, was dressed neatly, smiling as she arranging the bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing him emerge, she immediately stepped forward.
“Master, you’re awake!”
Gong Shangyu’s voice carried just the right amount of cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
She stepped forward, naturally and skillfully taking Lu Li’s arm to guide him toward the table.
“Breakfast is ready. Come and see if it suits your taste?”
Lu Li was somewhat bewildered by this display.
He allowed Gong Shangyu to seat him at the head of the table.
His gaze swept over the full table of dishes, then looked at his big disciple standing to the side, who was clearly the head chef.
He asked with confusion, “Qingkong, Baiyu, what is all this…? Is today some special occasion? If not, why go to such trouble all of a sudden?”
Upon hearing this, Gong Shangyu immediately took over, her face beaming with an innocent smile, her tone sweet enough to give someone diabetes.
“Master, what are you saying! Must it be a holiday for us disciples to show our filial piety?”
As she spoke, she skillfully picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a perfectly cooked scrambled egg on the small plate before him.
She continued, “We just saw how hard you’ve been working lately, Master. You’ve lost a bit of weight! Senior Brother Gu and I saw it and it pained our hearts!”
Gong Shangyu even furrowed her brows, putting on a pained expression.
“So we discussed it. Taking advantage of the fact that the assembly hasn’t started today, we got up early to carefully prepare some of your favorite dishes. I provided the funds to buy the ingredients, and Senior Brother Gu provided the labor to cook. A proper reward for your hard work, to nourish you! Just a small token of our filial hearts!”
Listening to his second disciple’s honeyed words and looking at this breakfast table that clearly involved considerable effort, Lu Li felt a warmth in his heart, and his earlier confusion faded somewhat.
He waved his hand, his tone gentle and touched.
“You are thoughtful. However, your master does not feel overly fatigued. For you to cultivate peacefully and achieve success early is the greatest reward and filial piety you can offer me.”
Gong Shangyu’s eyes darted, a sly glint flashing through.
She deliberately pouted, using a tone that was half-teasing, half-threatening.
“Oh~ So Master doesn’t like us showing filial piety like this? Alright then…”
She made a move as if to take the plates away.
“Then Senior Brother Gu and I will just clear this whole table and throw it away. Since Master doesn’t appreciate it~”
“Nonsense!”
Lu Li was both exasperated and amused, quickly stopping her.
“When did I say I didn’t like it? I merely meant you needn’t go to such trouble. Since you’ve already made it, how could we waste it? ‘Every single grain comes from hard work’—do I need to teach you this principle?”
“Well, there you have it!”
Gong Shangyu immediately changed her expression, her face blossoming into a smile as she shoved the chopsticks into Lu Li’s hand.
“Since we can’t waste it, Master, you should hurry and eat while it’s hot! Especially Senior Brother Gu—he got up before dawn to prepare all this. Don’t disappoint his efforts!”
Lu Li shook his head helplessly; he really had no defense against these two mischievous disciples.
Indeed… having male disciples is more reliable than female ones!
Male disciples are obedient, sensible, don’t cause trouble, and won’t develop improper thoughts about their master.
Lu Li picked up his chopsticks and was about to invite his big disciple to sit and eat together when he saw Gu Qingying still standing there in her apron, looking at him with expectant yet somewhat awkward eyes.
“Qingkong, why are you still standing?”
Lu Li beckoned to her warmly.
“You’ve been busy all morning. You must be tired. Don’t stand; come sit and eat with us.”
Hearing her master remember her, Gu Qingying’s purple eyes instantly lit up, as if filled with stars.
A bright smile spread across her face, and she happily started to walk over to sit down.
However, the moment her foot moved, Gong Shangyu’s heart tightened beside her!
‘This idiot can’t sit down! Otherwise, if I really manage to ask something revealing later, she’ll probably act impulsively again like last night!’
Gong Shangyu reacted swiftly, immediately speaking up first with a deliberately “reminding” tone.
“Ah! Senior Brother Gu! Look at my memory!”
Gong Shangyu tapped her own forehead and turned to Gu Qingying.
“Senior Brother, aren’t you still simmering that crucial ‘Nourishing Spirit and Benefiting Qi Soup’ in the kitchen? The heat control is most important; you can’t leave it unattended! Go check on it. Don’t let us get so caught up in eating that we forget the fire and ruin the soup!”
As she spoke, she secretly shot Gu Qingying a sharp, warning-filled look.
At the same time, she sent a rapid, faint transmission that only the two of them could hear.
‘Stick to the plan! Stay calm! Don’t mess this up! Wait for my signal!’
Seeing this, Gu Qingying’s steps halted, her smile stiffening slightly.
Receiving Gong Shangyu’s transmission and look, she immediately remembered the plan they had discussed last night.
Although she was extremely reluctant and wanted to sit beside her master, she knew she couldn’t be willful now.
Gu Qingying took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to get closer to her master.
She tried to maintain a natural smile on her face and said to Lu Li, “Ah… right, right! Master, look at my brain. I was so happy I almost forgot the important task.”
Gu Qingying bowed slightly to Lu Li in apology.
“Master, you and Junior Brother Baiyu go ahead and eat. Don’t wait for me. That pot of soup really is at a critical stage. This disciple needs to watch the heat in the kitchen to avoid wasting all our previous efforts. I’ll come over once the soup is ready.”
Lu Li, suspecting nothing, merely thought his big disciple was diligent and responsible.
He nodded and said with concern, “If that’s the case, then you should hurry. Do you need my help—”
“Ah! No, no need!”
Gu Qingying quickly waved her hands.
“This disciple can handle it alone! Master, please eat first!”
Having said that, as if afraid she wouldn’t be able to resist if she stayed any longer, she quickly turned and hurried back to the kitchen.
However, the slight downturn of her lips as she turned betrayed a hint of grievance.
Lu Li watched his big disciple’s hurried retreat and shook his head with a wry smile.
“That child… is truly diligent.”
Seeing Gu Qingying exit as planned, Gong Shangyu secretly sighed in relief.
She put a sweet smile back on her face and diligently served Lu Li more food.
“Master, try this. This is Senior Brother Gu’s specialty—crystal shrimp dumplings. They’re made with the freshest Cloud Stream Spirit Shrimp. They’re said to have miraculous effects for nourishing spirit energy!”
Lu Li followed her suggestion, picking up a shrimp dumpling and putting it in his mouth.
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